Failed grafted apple rootstock

[veggiechicken]

Several years ago I went on a course to learn how to graft apples. Of the 6 I grafted only one took! I'm not a good pupil. Two of the rootstocks are still going strong however. What will they grow into if I plant them? Is it possible to graft onto them now or are they too old. Thanks.

[FB.]

Your ungrafted rootstocks will grow into apple trees.

- BUT -

Depending on which rootstock they are, they may be crab apples, or they may be normal apples of mediocre quality.
You may also find that they don't have as much disease resistance as certain grafted varieties; I've always found rootstocks to be rather prone to mildew and with no special resistance to other diseases.

If an apple rootstock is allowed to grow into a tree, once it reaches several years old or so, it will start to produce roots on the branches - especially the undersides or near to branch junctions. These are unsightly and can be an entry point for pests or diseases.

You should be able to re-graft the rootstocks early next year (around February-March, depending on the weather). You could also use the bud grafting technique on them next July-August (again, depending on weather).

[veggiechicken]

Thank you FB for your very comprehensive advice. I think I'll plant these 2 rootstocks as part of a fruiting hedge that I'm about to create and try to source some fresh rootstock for next year. Any ideas where I can obtain them please?. I'm interested because I have some very old standard apple trees in the garden. I believe they were planted as part of the war effort about 1940. Each year one of them will keel over. I've had most of them identified and would like to propagate some of my favourites. Off the top of my head there are some codlins, Beauty of Bath & Brownlees Russet. There are at least 10 others that I can't remember! Any advice would be appreciated.

[FB.]

I would suggest grafting onto a strong rootstock (MM111 or M25) because your soil will be depleted and after growing apples there for a long time, it will have "replant disease" which will considerably reduce the vigour of young trees.
Replant disease can be reduced by digging-out a few feet area and a couple of feet deep and replacing the diseased soil with new soil. Do not mix the disease-ridden soil back into the planting hole (although a little spillage of contaminated soil won't hurt too much).

I only know of a few places which supply strong rootstocks:

> Blackmoor <

> Ashridge Trees <

[veggiechicken]

I'm going to create another orchard area as the existing one is shaded by the remaining apple trees and some oaks, ashes etc which have grown up around the perimeter. Maybe dig up some of the lawn - I'm not a fan of grass!

[FB.]

I'd still recommend MM111 or M25 - they'll have a much better chance of a long and healthy life.
Other rootstocks either don't have the disease resistance and/or they don't have the vigour to outgrow the diseases.
MM111 probably has the best chance of resisting and/or outgrowing diseases and also tolerating harsher conditions. M25 is very vigorous (more than MM111), but M25 has no special disease resistance; simply relying on its vigour to try to outgrow anything which damages it.
MM111 is more tolerant of woolly aphids, root diseases, saturated ground, harsh winters and summer droughts.
With slow-growing varieties - such as Brownlees Russet - you may need quite a strong rootstock.

Personally, I mostly use MM111 for T3 (very vigorous) varieties and M25 for T2 (average vigour) varieties.

I once had a beautiful Brownlees Russet on M25, but the rootstock died from crown rot (probably came with the rootstock from the nursery because my conditions aren't at all suitable for root rots to attack the tree). It was just one of several trees on M25 which had all come from the same supplier and by the age of several years, all but one had died from the same root disease. MM106 is even more prone to root rot and crown rot than M25 - and it is my belief that many UK nurseries stocks of MM106 and M25 are now riddled with rots, but these are held dormant by sprays in the nursery, but gradually eat away the roots when grown in a spray-free situation.
MM111 and M26 and M27 are slightly resistant to rots, while M9 is resistant. However M9 is not particularly vigorous.

[veggiechicken]

OK FB. MM111 or M25 it will be. Thank you for taking so much time to reply to me.